Man Utd boss Ferguson has great admiration for Bayern Munich

There is certainly a wariness inside the United camp merely because of the history they are facing.

"I respect Bayern Munich," said Ferguson. "I have great admiration for them as a club. That is what we are playing. We are playing history. A team with history has a certain pride and we have to remember that."

How much that history counts once the action starts is a moot point.

Seven trophies did not do AC Milan much good when they were battered by United in the last round and the odds are on a Red Devils advance to an Anglo-French semi-final against either Lyon or Bordeaux.

Louis van Gaal is happy enough to play the underdog card anyway, although Ferguson feels a bit of kidology is at play.

"He is a clever man," smiled the United chief. "But I don't pay any attention to that.

"I haven't seen all Bayern's games this season but we have watched video footage over the last two days.

"They have had one or two bad results recently but it doesn't mean they are a bad team.

"We are not going to get carried away for one moment that this could be an easy game. It won't be."